


First Impressions

by taiyouu



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Denial of Feelings, F/M, Female Reader, Reader-Insert, Slow Burn, Strong Female Characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-13 20:21:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28909242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taiyouu/pseuds/taiyouu
Summary: Rufus Shinra is getting ready for a big business meeting, but their materia researcher has yet to arrive. He  comes across a curious woman and assume her to be the missing researcher. If that's the case, then how come his instincts are telling him to be cautious?
Relationships: Rufus Shinra/Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	First Impressions

"Sir." a deep and familiar voice rang out from phone that was placed on a dark marble desk.

"Your requested personnel for the prospective diamond partner meeting have been gathered in the building. All are present with the exception of the materia researcher from Weapons Development."

A figure sitting in a leather chair gives an annoyed grunt. His platinum blond hair and furrowed brows illuminated by the cold green light pulsating from the Mako reactors outside. The floor-to-ceiling windows of the large office allowing both the room and the man to be surrounded by an ethereal glow.

Before he could chastise the voice on the phone, it rang out again.

"The department has assured us they sent one of their best. It is her first time in the upper floors of the building so she appears to be lost. Rude is already looking for her and everything is under control, sir." the voice added in an assuring but firm tone. Having served the blond man for years, he already knew what to say and - most importantly - do.

"I hear she's a cutie though!" another voice buzzed, joining their conversation. This time a higher and raspier one. The laid-back excitement and crass can only come from the red-headed Turk that both men have learned to ignore.

"Irrelevant." sighed the blond man, picking up the phone as he stood from his desk.

"Tseng." he called firmly.

The phone speakers buzzed again "Yes, sir?"

"Send Reno to search for the researcher as well. This deal is paramount to the future of Shinra. I'll be there shortly."

"Yes, sir." the voice buzzed as the blond man hung up the call. He strode across the room towards the metallic automated doors, iconic to the Shinra building. His footsteps echoed loudly in the barren room as the belts on his white suit jacket swayed and jingled to the rhythm.

They say that you can tell a person's social standing just by their walk, and it was evident that this is a man standing at the top of the world. If it weren't for the fact that he was born with a golden spoon in his mouth, he would've eventually risen to the top with his appearances and wits alone. Today, just like any other day, Rufus Shinra was ready to both persuade and dominate.

_*** In the elevator ***_

The shining lights of Migard flashed below as Rufus rode the elevator to Skyview Hall. He wanted a change of pace before what may be the biggest meeting of the year. Their counterpart this time is notoriously exclusive, and even Shinra - the company that practically ran all of Midgard - had to jump through hoops and call in their favors to get a single meeting with their president. The best that they could schedule was a meeting in the late evening.

Rufus almost chuckled to himself at the thought. Who would've thought any organization could make Shinra go the extra mile? That just fueled his ambition to propel his company to the top of the world without any peer or competition.

The elevator bell gave a gentle ring, and the doors hummed open. Rufus stepped out onto the dark floor. It was so late that most of the people who were in the Skyview Hall were employees taking a break while working overtime. Some sat around couches with a cup of coffee, and some just stood around.

He walked around to the back of the building and stoped at a reasonably vacant window with only one other onlooker. The lights of nearby buildings and one of the many Mako reactors dotted the view. The reactor's cool glow seeped into every light source, turning even the brightest of lights into a slight green reminding Rufus that all of the city belonged to him.

His thoughts are interrupted when the other onlooker started mumbling.

"I wonder how much materia we could make from that. Perhaps the composition of the Mako would be slightly different so it won't be as efficient."

Rufus shifted his eyes to locate the noise to his left, ready to judge the other onlooker as an annoyance. But the moment he laid eyes on the figure, his instincts cautioned him to examine it closely.

The woman that stood beside him was completely engrossed at the sight before her. Her arms crossed to produce wrinkles on her black blouse while the shirt's collar was popped up, joining at a button just below her nape in a v-shape. It exposed just enough skin to pique curiosity. Her leather pants reflected the glow from the windows, while her black platform boots were covered by the shadows.

Rufus paused for a few moments to take in her attire. She definitely wasn't your typical Shinra desk worker. Above it all, he couldn't deny that she was attractive. He cautiously determined that she was as exquisite as she may be dangerous. His fight or flight instincts telling him to be wary. Despite the warnings, he couldn't quite peel his eyes away. His mind started to conjure up guesses as to where she'd come from. How curious.

As Rufus analyzed her posture and speculated her background, she continued to stare intently at the Mako reactor as if simply staring at it would create the materia names that she started to list out under her breath.

Her continued mumbling snapped Rufus out of his thoughts and back into his usual character. "Don't you have anywhere else to be?" he growled before he could stop himself.

_*** Reader's POV ***_

_"If the Shinra military canines could speak, that's probably how they'd sound like"_ she thought to herself and side eyed the man who walked to her window with his own two feet and then decided to rudely reprimand her.

Never had she thought a person could _look_ like they're dripping in rich. From the perfectly gelled platinum blond hair to the white suit and high fashion jacket, down to the last detail of the scrawling face of a spoiled rich heir.

 _"Charming. But with an ego needs to get knocked down a few notches."_ she mused internally to herself.

She had some time before the meeting, and was feeling gracious enough today to give him a reply. "Now that you mention it, they're expecting me in the board room in 10 minutes."

After all, she told her assistants that she wanted to get a better understanding of their prospective partner and tour their lair. She could spare a moment to train an executive hound.

_*** Rufus' POV ***_

He cursed himself a little that his attitude could be scaring off an off-season tourist. They still had some image to maintain - his brain reasoned while drowning in denial that he could've ruined a chance to talk to her.

If he did startle her though, it didn't show on her face.

" _The board room?"_ he thought. That's where he was headed to next as well. Tseng already notified him that everyone was there, so -

" _Ah."_ There are definitely some "Shinra employees" who wouldn't have typical business dress. He wouldn't put it past Weapons Development to be more lax, just look at Scarlet.

Rufus furrows his eyebrows further in discontentment. "So this is where you were, rather idle for someone who could lose their job at any moment."

This time the woman looked rather puzzled, as if he was being speaking in a different language.

"The Turks are looking for you. This is a pretty obvious place to look." Rufus continued without thinking much of her facial expression. A part of him warned: _So why haven't they found her yet._

She looked slightly less confused.

"There's still time, and I wanted to see this view for myself." she gestured to the glass in front of her. "You can only draw inspiration if you experience it for yourself."

The soft green glow illuminating them both, now making her look more like a mirage in the dessert. He watches her eyes trail across the horizon with the green shining off her irises. How she seems to take it all in without any judgement of the sight before her. Her slightly lowered eyelashes and relaxed jaw leads his eyes naturally towards her lips. For a second, he felt like a parched man having found an oasis.

Then she slowly glanced at him with a meek smile asking "Don't dock their pay ok?"

Rufus felt himself suddenly full of contradictions. His instincts still telling him that she's still dangerous, but he can't tell if the loud thumping in his ears are from him wanting to run or to stay.

He catches himself, tightening his fists that are in his pockets, and quickly retorts "Whatever. You have plenty of time to draw inspiration while talking materia to get us our deal. The first impression is important, so don't be late."

The little voice in his head spoke again: _Why check it out now right before a bit meeting? Doesn't she work here all the time?_

She turns her body from the cityscape view and gives him her full attention.

Rufus felt himself bask in it.

"It's not like you can't crawl out of the weapon department dungeons anytime." this time Rufus is the one mumbling. He steps away from the window and turns towards the elevators, tilting his head towards her before he orders "Come."

Her face no longer seems meek, and she... did she just smirk a little? Nonetheless she starts towards him, pulling out her phone to tap the screen for a brief moment.

"Alright, alright. I'll let them know I'm heading over." she says in a playful tone.

Rufus notes the lack of respect for his position and makes a mental note to make a bigger show of his power the next time that he's visiting Weapons Development. They walk towards the elevators, her quick and confident strides matching up to his slower and longer ones, keeping pace beside him as if they had equal ground.

His head warning him one last time: _Maybe it's because she does._

Rufus should've known better than to ignore his gut. Once they were both in the elevator, his phone buzzes. "Sir, the researcher is on her way and we have word that the other party will also be here in a few moments." Tseng sounded from the other side of the line.

_Perfect timing._

"Good. Tell Rude he needs to get better at hide and seek." he hums.

The phone was silent and you could hear a single eyebrow raise by the tone of Tseng's voice "I'm not sure what you're talking about sir?".

"Even they want to play tourist sometimes, tell him he should look right under his nose and check the most obvious places first" Oh how right he was.

"Are we still talking about finding the researcher sir?" Tseng sounded even more confused.

Rufus snapped back "What else?"

"Sir, with all due respect I don't think the storage area is a very obvious place, considering how lost you'd have to be to stumble there with all the signs."

"What?" now it was Rufus' turn to get confused. His eyes low as he stared down his phone, almost as if it would explain everything to him.

The elevator bell ringed in reply as the doors slid open to their destination. Rufus saw Tseng by the door that lead to the conference rooms, along with two unfamiliar men dressed in black suits. One of them held onto a large black cloth.

The woman beside him strode out of the elevator towards them like she owned the place. As if on cue, both suited men focused their attention towards them and swiftly walked to greet them. Tseng noticed and followed suit.

When the woman reached a conversational distance, both Tseng and the men bowed towards her. The man who was holding the cloth then went and draped it over her shoulders, revealing that it was in fact a long leather coat covering up to her knees.

From the escalators, Rude and Reno arrived with a woman wearing a long white lab coat fumbling behind their long steps. Reno exclaiming "We're back boss!" to the party before him.

It was as if the woman Rufus had conversed with donned a new persona along with her jacket. Her voice commanding attention and respect addressed them all "It seems that everyone is here. Let's go ahead and get to business shall we?"

Tseng gave the entire party a soft "Of course." and went to open the door towards the conference rooms. He held out his hand to direct them inside.

Rufus didn't move from the elevator chamber and simply stared as the woman that he'd mistaken for a Shinra researcher walked towards Tseng. She paused just before he walked past him and spoke "By the way, I had a conversation with your boss earlier."

Tseng's face held a spark of surprise, though it was so quickly hidden away that only Rufus may have caught it.

She continued to speak "May I just say that he's a wonderful conversationalist and generous boss. Outstanding first impressions."

This time anyone could've seen the confusion in Tseng's eyes. She turned towards Rufus one more time, gave him a toothy smile upon seeing the priceless expression on his face, and continued to the conference room.

Rufus realized that he didn't even ask for her name. All that she had left for him was a crashing realization of what had happened, and a light heat in his cheeks. He vehemently persuaded himself that the heat was from anger, and nothing else.

**Author's Note:**

> Sign me up for reader-chan's fan club! (ﾉ´ヮ´)ﾉ
> 
> What did you think? Was reader-chan great at manipulating him, or should Rufus have seen this coming from a mile away?


End file.
